Mariners compete with the best

Sehome’s boys’ cross country team, only a 2A school, kept up with some of the top 3A and 4A schools at the Hole of the Wall Invitational on Saturday, Oct. 11, at Lakewood High School. The No. 3-ranked team in 4As won the event.

The Mariners finished in second place among the 32 teams that registered five runners in the top racing division. Kirby Overman (16 minutes, 8.7 seconds) led the way with his 12th-place finish.

“They ran really well,” Sehome coach Kevin Ryan said in a phone interview. “They’re still on tired legs, but they really competed well and moved up well throughout the race.”

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Sehome’s second team won the second division, a true testament to the depth of the squad, Ryan said.

Also running in the invitational, but most runnners competing in the second division of racing Saturday, were Meridian, Ferndale, Blaine, Squalicum and Mount Baker.

Meridian’s Collin Magnusson finished 21st in the first division with a 16:31.1. All three of the Trojans runners competed in the first division with Derek Morrow (17:29.7) and Levi Morrow (18:26.1) also finishing.

Ferndale’s Roberto Aguilera was the only other Whatcom County runner in the first division. He finished 23rd with a 16:31.7. Cole Bergquist (19:01.5), Kayle Widmer (19:06.7) and Matthew Steiber (19:30) ran in the second division.

Blaine’s Parker Morris placed 11th in the second division with a 17:31.3, leading a team of Charlie Baldwin (18:35.5), Tristan Soto (18:53), Greg Arps (19:00.5) and Spenser Dodge (19:43.2).